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Villa Collina, is a 37,000 square foot waterfront residence situated on 8 acres on the banks of the Tennessee River in Knoxville. The estate's 50 rooms include 8 bedrooms, 11 full and five half bathrooms, a three-tier library, an exercise room, a home theater, and a 2,600 square foot wine cellar. Villa Collina is slated for auction by Signature Luxury Auctions on October 26, 2016. (Submitted)

Villa Collina, is a 37,000 square foot waterfront residence situated on 8 acres on the banks of the Tennessee River in Knoxville. The estate's 50 rooms include 8 bedrooms, 11 full and five half bathrooms, a three-tier library, an exercise room, a home theater, and a 2,600 square foot wine cellar. Villa Collina is slated for auction by Signature Luxury Auctions on October 26, 2016. (Submitted)

The head of Maryville-based Vanquish Worldwide is the new owner of the 36,720-square-foot Villa Collina mansion.

Eric Barton said Friday that he purchased the landmark home, which was sold at auction Oct. 6. Records filed Wednesday with the Knox County Register of Deeds show the property was bought for $6.375 million.

Asked Friday to comment on the purchase, Barton said he would like to share his plans for the property, but would do that at a later date.

Meanwhile, Scott Boruff, the former owner of the 5628 Lyons View Pike estate, is planning a residential development on property he owns at 5656 Lyons View, adjacent to Villa Collina.

Boruff could not be reached for comment. Hedstrom Design is the architect on the project, and John Wisinger, senior project manager with Hedstrom Design, said the 4.6-acre property has been subdivided into four lots and Boruff hopes to develop at least one of them.

"We really just have a schematic at this point," he said.

The property is vacant and has waterfront access to Fort Loudoun Lake. A sign at the entrance advertises the project as Villa Estates, featuring houses by Cornerstone Custom Homes and a waterfront common area and pavilion. Cornerstone has built homes in Gettysvue and other upscale neighborhoods. Alliance Sotheby's International Realty is the Realtor.

The 8-acre Villa Collina property was auctioned by Signature Luxury Auctions, which at the time said it was bound from released information on the buyer and seller. Boruff, a former CEO of Miller Energy Resources, bought the property in 2011 for $9.5 million.

Barton, a Marine Corps veteran and 2015 winner of the Knoxville Chamber's Young Entrepreneur Award, started Vanquish Worldwide in 2007 as a government contractor. It since has expanded into a nationwide transportation and logistics business, with a preferred service provider contract with FedEx Ground, for which it now handles more than 40 percent of packages shipped and received through Nashville. It has 145 employees. Though headquartered in Maryville, Vanquish has offices worldwide and is one of 20 business ventures owned by Barton.

Villa Collina was built for Mike and Deane Conley, owners of the Regal Corp. heavy equipment company. Architect Karengaye Johnson said it was built in phases during the 1990s.

It was put on the market in 2007 for a $40 million asking price, which eventually was dropped to $21 million before Boruff bought the property and furnishings for $9.5 million.

The home has 50 rooms, including eight bedrooms, 11 full and five half-bathrooms, a three-tier library, exercise room, 2,600-square foot wine cellar and provides sweeping balcony views of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Johnson described it as a "fun house," with many secret passageways, hidden doors, its own movie theater, gold-leaf faucets, hand-painted lavatory bowls and other exotic features.

The October auction drew seven bidders, each of whom deposited $250,000 in escrow to be able to take part, said Brad Pruitt, COO of Signature Luxury Auctions.